Intro

I used to think leaving my country would be mostly about practical things. A better job, a more stable future, more opportunities. a stronger sense of control over my life. But what I didn´t understand back then is that moving abroad isn´t just a change of location. It´s a quiet rearranging of your identity. It changed they way I thought, the way I spoke, the way I planned and sometimes even the way I felt. Born in Spain, since I was a kid I had something about learning English and the UK culture. You can imagine that as I kid little I know what was actually there in the UK but for some reason back then I was in love with few stereotypes I knew, the tea culture, the Big Ben, football enthusiasts and liked the idea as visiting when adult.

The decision looks simple… until it becomes real

From teenager to young adult the idea of moving abroad lived in my head as a plan, but due to work and study responsibilities never found the right spot. The very last year before taking the decision I spent significant time looking for videos, blogs and successful stories about people who did this, looking for advice and ideas on what to expect as a expat. In my mind I always have this “something I´d do one day” “something that would make sense eventually”, “something that would be challenging, but definitely worth it”. Then one day it stopped being and idea and became a real decision. And suddenly I wasn’t dreaming anymore — I was leaving. Packed the basic stuff and left. I would be honest with you as I made it I felt both excitement and fear at the same time.

You start changing, and you don’t even notice

After some time, something happens without you realizing it. From the very beginning in my mind was to attempt to integrate as much as possible, then socializing an interacting with locals as often as I could, visiting museums and reading history to get to know as much of the country as possible. I picked expressions from the local language, changed how I communicated (transitioned to speak slowly, stop expecting things to work the way they work back home, lowering my voice and putting much more emphasis in politeness). Truth is that what is considered rude in some regions is not a big deal in other places. Likewise, what is considered politeness might be considered odd in some other places. This politeness topic is definitely worth of a separate article by the way.

One day you go back home for a visit and you notice that you don´t fully fit the same way anymore. Leaving your country doesn´t just change your address, it changes your relationship with your own culture.

Living between two worlds

Now, if I’m honest, I don’t feel like I belong to only one place anymore. I’m connected to my country of birth in a deep way. That will never change. But I’m also connected to the country where I live now. Not as a tourist. Not as a temporary guest. As someone who built routines here. Who struggled here. Who learned here. And that creates a strange identity:When I’m abroad, I miss home,When I’m home, I miss abroad. It’s not always painful. Sometimes it’s a privilege — to have two places that matter. But it’s also a permanent feeling of being “in between.”. Yes , I was born in Spain, but feel a “heart and soul” connection to Scotland.

Would I do it again?

Yes. Not because it was easy. But because it forced me to grow in ways staying would never have required.
Moving abroad taught me: how to start from zero, how to be humble, how to survive uncertainty, how to rebuild confidence after feeling lost
how to value my roots instead of taking them for granted,More open-minded. More aware that the world is bigger than my personal experience.
And maybe that’s the biggest opportunity of all. Not money. Not career. Perspective.

If you’re thinking about leaving, this is what I’d tell you

You will gain things. And you will lose things. You will feel proud of yourself. You will feel free. And you will miss what you left behind. Leaving your country is not abandoning it. Sometimes it’s the only way to build the life you want.
And sometimes, the price of opportunity is learning how to live with a little bit of longing in your pocket — forever.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever left your country — or you’re thinking about doing it — I’d genuinely love to hear your story. What was the hardest part for you: the practical side, the emotional side, or the cultural adjustment? Feel free to share your experience in the comments, and if this post resonated with you, share it with someone who might be living through the same “in-between” phase right now

What was hardest for you? Did you feel like you belonged anywhere at first?